On the evening of April 24, the opening ceremony of the "Tray" exhibition took place at the Vietnam National Fine Arts Museum.
Tray" is the 8th solo exhibition of artist Hien Nguyen to introduce abstract lacquer works and the art book of the same name. The event is considered a prominent milestone in the female artist's creative journey of more than 15 years, opening up an art space rich in contemplation, where material things, memories and emotions are "expanded" beyond ordinary limits.
Speaking at the opening ceremony, curator Nguyen Huy Thong said: "Performing abstract painting with lacquer is a big challenge. However, the overlapping characteristics and the ability to evoke deep space of this material open up strong expressive potential, allowing artists to express their own imaginations and emotions about entities that go beyond human common knowledge.
Tray" continues to affirm Hien Nguyen's persistent choice with lacquer - a type that requires meticulousness, patience and enormous imagination.
The works are built with diverse themes, inspirations and techniques but all revolve around the movement of matter and consciousness. Viewers are not simply "watching paintings" but step into a contemplative experience, where each layer of color, each surface texture evokes associations about time, space of a mysterious metaphysical universe.
Chau Suong (20 years old, student at Vietnam University of Fine Arts) shared after visiting the exhibition: "When watching it directly, I was very impressed with the works, especially the painting "Memories of genes" because of the different colors and lines, rarely seen in lacquer, and at the same time evoking a feeling of movement and many associations about space, very close to the perception of art students like me".
The "Tray" exhibition lasts from April 24, 2026 to the end of May 4, 2026 at the Vietnam National Fine Arts Museum.
